Forbidden Love
by Reni Readiris
Summary: AU/AH Clary is a widowed slave women with a young daughter, working in the palace. She meets Jace, a young prince and soon to be king. They fall hard and fast for each other, but must keep their relationship a secret, for fear of Clary's execution.
1. Chapter 1

Alright I know what all my Hunger Games readers are thinking. I just haven't had any ideas for them. But this one I keep getting ideas. My hand and arm was covered in them! I want to thank 4evrJace11 and camibandlover!

I don't own anything!

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><p>Clary's POV.<p>

First let me introduce myself. My name is Clarissa Julian and I am a servent in Egypt. I am widowed and have a three year old daughter named Brooklyn May. I am the servent of Jace Herondale, who is the prince, soon to be king. I have just moved here from another small kingdom, York. I had formed a very good friendship with my fellow servent, Isabelle. I have firey red hair and bright green eyes. My deceased husband Simon, had brown hair and hazel eyes. Brooklyn, sharing both our traits, has green eyes and light brown hair.

"Clarissa! Get back to work!" The head servent, Kaelie, yells at me. As I continue to fold the bed clothes I wonder if I will ever meet Jace. "After you are finished with that I am instructed to bring you up to the Prince's suite. He would like to meet you." I guess I'll find out what he is like. After folding the last of the clothes, I walk over to her.

"They are done ma'am," I tell Kaelie politely.

"Good. Now follow me," She says. I brush my hands on my apron and follow her up the old, cobblestoned stairs. Knowing Brooklyn is doing something very easy, such as brushing the horses in the stable, I do not worry about her too much. The people here at the palace are not cruel. They give the children easy things to do, but once you turn thirteen it becomes harder. Also, they give the children and pregnant woman more to eat during meals.

After coming to a stop at the double doors that lead to Mr. Herondale's throne room, Kaelie ,the head servant, knocks on the door. "Enter." A melodious male voice says. She opens the door and let's me go in first. I look over at the prince. He has tousled golden hair and deep golden eyes. "You are my new servant? Clarissa is it?" He says. I nod. "I also understand that you have a daughter. What is her name?"

"Brooklyn May, your highness," I tell him.

"Lovely name. Kaelie, will you please leave us alone to talk in private?" Jace says.

"Of course," Kaelie says to him, blushing and twirling her hair. She turns to me. "Clarissa, when you are finished talking to him go pick up Brooklyn at the stables. Her shift ends in one hour." I nod at her. Kaelie turns and walks out the door, and shutting it with a glance at the prince and I behind her.

"I have heard you have a passion for drawing. Would you mind drawing me something?" He asks me. I smile . I've always loved it when someone would ask me to draw.

"Certainly. What would you like me to draw?" I ask him, grinning.

"How about the gardens? I could take you out there and you could draw them. It's also right near the stable too, so you won't be late to pick up Brooklyn," He says, smiling. I nod, still grinning. Maybe he won't be a jerk, like the rumors circulating the caste describe him to be. "Come along, then!" He says, handing me a book full of paper and a pencil. I accidently touch his hand and strange sparks shoot up my arm. He does not acknowledge that he has noticed.

...

After walking to the gardens, he has me sit at one of the tables out there. I pick the spot near to the fountain, and start to sketch.

An hour later I finish it. I smile at the work. It looks like a photograph. Only certain people have that talent, nd my mother was one of them. I hand it to him. He looks over it. "It's beautiful!"

"Thank you," I tell him smiling at the compliment.

"Now I would like us to meet here at one o'clock in the afternoon tomorrow so you can draw something else. You may leave to pick up your daugter. Also if you can please bring her tomorrow, I would love to meet her, Jace says smiling. I nod and stand up. "Please take the book, so you may draw in your freetime. I may even consider making you the palace artist!. I'll also make sure they don't give you any hard work that would hurt you hands."

I smile at him and head towards the stables. He honestly seems really nice. I like him, and think he would be a great King for Idris. I reach the stables. "Brooklyn? Honey it's time to eat," I tell my daughter sweetly.

"Alright momma. Let me take Angel horse to her pen," She says to me.

...

Dinner consists of stew with some day old bread and water. That is only for me though. Brooklyn has stew with fresh bread and fresh milk.

After dinner has finished, Brooklyn and I head to our room to get a bath. Here in Idris they let us have a bathtub in our rooms.

After bathing Brooklyn and I head to our bed. We share one full sized bed. After telling her a story about a unicorn she falls asleep snuggled into me. I start to fall asleep soon after. Tomorrow Brooklyn is going to meet the prince. She will be so excited. And with those thoughts in mind, I fall asleep.

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><p>Alright! Thanks for reading! More to come Sunday! Possibly earlier! Review?<p> 


	2. Chapter 2

Hey guys! Sorry this is a little short! I have my grandmother over! Thanks for the reviews! And for Jace's cockyness it will be in the next chapter!

I don't own the Mortal Instruments. But if I did. Isabelle would be taking me on a shopping spree and Jace would just entertain me. ;)

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><p>Clary's POV<p>

When I wake up the next day, I remember that I only have a couple of hours to work then it's off to meet Jace, with Brooklyn. I gently shake Brooklyn to wake her up. "Good morning Momma," Brooklyn says, yawning.

"Good morning, sweetie. Did you sleep well?" I ask my daughter.

"Yes. How long do I have to work today?" She asks me while rubbing her eyes and stretching.

"Well… not for long. You are going to meet Prince Jace," I tell her hoping she'll like the idea.

"Really?" Brooklyn asks star struck.

"Yes, Now go get changed. We have an easy day today!" I tell her. She jumps out of bed and quickly changes into her work clothes. After I change and French braid her hair it's 6:00 in the morning.

...

After breakfast it's 6:45. I drop Brooklyn off at the stables where all the other children are, and head to the wash room.

Kaelie pulls me aside. "So I heard the prince likes you," She says accusingly, like it's my fault.

"I- I don't think so. He just wants be to draw for the palace." I stutter. She's probably jealous because she wants the Prince's attention.

"You better watch yourself, Clarissa," She hisses. "Now get to work."

I walk away and grab a huge basket of wash to fold. Ugh, I hate her, but I have to be nice to her. I do not want to be fired or worse, and leave Brooklyn. I don't think I could bare to lose her, she is the only one I have! Especially with Simon gone… I start to tear up at the thought of Simon. No. I will not cry. Not here anyway. I quickly wipe my tears away before anyone can see them.

An hour later I have half of the basket done and am a little tired. I feel someone tap my shoulder. I turn around and it's Jordan. He's Kaelie's boss.

He pulls out a cup of something that smells really good. "Compliments of the prince. It's coffee," Jordan says smiling. I take the cup and taste it. It tastes amazing. I drink a little more and it perks me up.

"Thank you! I'll tell the prince when I see him this afternoon," I tell Jordan. He nods and walks away. The coffee is warming my hand, and I smile.

...

When one o'clock finally rolls around I have two baskets of wash folded. I walk over to Kaelie and she nods her head, silently telling me to go meet the prince. I walk away and climb the cobblestone steps. It's time to see the prince, with Brooklyn.

I walk into the stables and call out, "Brooklyn? Honey it's time to go," I call out. She runs out of Angel's stall. "Ready?"

"Yes momma," She says and waves goodbye to her best friend, Rose.

When we get to the gardens, Jace is sitting on a bench there. He sees us and stands. "Hello Clarissa. This is your daughter?" He asks.

"Yes," I say to him. I turn to Brooklyn, "Brooklyn say hello to the prince."

"Hello you're Highness. It's nice to meet you," Brooklyn says politely, and curtsies.

"Hello Miss Brooklyn. It is nice to meet you, too," Jace says, and bows to her. "How old are you?"

"I am six, turning seven in two months," She says, still smiling.

"Clarissa… I am going to call you Clary. Clarissa is such a mouthful." states Jace.

"Clary would you mind having Brooklyn sitting on Angel?" I nod.

"Brooklyn come with me. You are getting your picture drawn. And you get to sit one Angel," I tell Brooklyn. She nods and starts to walk towards the stables. I trail along beside Jace.

"Your daughter is so sweet. She has your beautiful green eyes," He says. I blush. "But I must ask. Who was Brooklyn's father?"

I tense. This is still a touchy subject for me. "His name was Simon Lewis. He… passed away about two years ago," I say.

"Oh. I am so sorry," He says, sympathy and something like understanding in his tawny eyes.

"It's fine. Anyway… thank you for the coffee this morning," I say, changing the subject.

"You're welcome. I had some hot chocolate sent over to Brooklyn too," By that time, we have arrived at the stables. Brooklyn already has Angel tied to the pasture gate.

Jace walks over and picks up Brooklyn sitting her side saddle on Angels back. I sit on the grass and begin drawing.

...

Two hours later I have the drawing done. I smile at my work. Perfect, I think. I hand the drawing to Jace. He looks at it and smiles.

"It is wonderful. Thank you for drawing it for me," Jace says. "Meet me in my room at noon tomorrow. I would like to have lunch with you and Brooklyn."

I grin and nod. He kisses my cheek, stands up, and walks away.

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><p>I honestly don't know what coffee tastes like. I'm not allowed to have it. My parents say they wouldn't know how to deal with me if I had it. Once, one of my friends didn't have milk for coffee, so she used soda. Let's just say I was exhausted when I came home from school that day. Review?<p> 


	3. Chapter 3

_**Hi peopleee! It's camibandlover here. So yeah, I'm co-writing this now. I love the idea, and I love the characters. And Reni is awesome. So I asked her if I could help, and she said yes! So yay! I hope you guys like this chapter. ;) R+R?**_

**Okay it's me Reni! So yes she is co-writing it with me! And she is also my beta since I have no freakin' clue where my other one went. So anyway, I hope you guys like this chapter! I know it took FOREVER for me to update. I've been a little busy. Christmas is coming up so it's a tad hectic. Plus, I have like 11 books that I'm writing. :D**

**Disclaimer: WE DON'T OWN TMI! *sobs***

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><p>There is only one person in this whole entire castle who likes me and is not a servant—not really. She stands before me, her long black hair flying around when the wind hits it. She sighs, rolls her dark eyes, and pushes it up in a ponytail. Her mother would be horrified.<p>

"So," Isabelle says, placing her hands on her hips. "You said you needed help?"

"Yes," I tell her. "It's—Jace invited me and my daughter to have dinner with him, and I have nothing to wear."

Isabelle grins. Clearly, I made the right choice, calling upon her. She was kicked out of her house when she was fifteen, and since then, Jace gave her refuge. She only started to work as a designer for fun, but anyone can tell she loves it. But then he said she had to work in order to live in the house, and so she became the clothing designer and maker.

"Did you have anything in mind?" she asks me, dragging me out of the field and into the castle. We pass a few servants, friends of mine, and greet them. It's all very surreal, walking around with Isabelle. It always has been.

"Momma!" says Brooklyn from behind us, making me jump, startled. "Where are you going?"

"Brooklyn," I say with a sigh. "Honey, I'm gonna go get ready for dinner. Isabelle is going to gives us some dresses! I'll give you yours once you're done with chores."

Brooklyn pouts. "Why, mommy?"

"Because they come first."

"Fine," she says, lifts her chin, and stomps away. Great. Now Brooklyn's mad at me.

"Don't worry," Isabelle says. "She'll come around."

"She loves Jace." I probably have a wistful expression on my face, because Isabelle stiffens.

"Please, please don't tell me you like Jace," she pleads.

"I think I do," I admit. He has been on my mind nonstop.

"Clary," she says, and that, of course, brings me back to Jace. After all, they are the only two people that call me that. "You cannot possibly be attracted to my brother. He isn't what you want."

"He's been nice to Brooklyn and to me," I insist. "He's amazing."

"He's an idiot. Probably playing with you," she says, and I know she isn't lying, but I can't bring myself to care. All I can think is he's the guy who asked me to draw him, who wants me to have dinner with him, and who Brooklyn loves.

I sigh and say, "I don't think he is."

"You're a hardheaded person, you know that?" Isabelle shakes her head. "Come on, let's go get you ready."

When we get to Isabelle's room, she puts a blindfold over my eyes and tells me to sit down on a wooden chair in front of a mirror. I comply. When she asks me to stand up, I stand. When she says to take my clothes off to try out the dress on me, I do so, even though I am reluctant. I wait until she is done with everything, tells me to sit back down with clothes on, and goes to look for Brooklyn. Time to get her ready, too.

After about an hour, Izzy takes off the blindfold and spins me around. I see myself in a light purple dress. It is long, reaching my feet, designed with cloth flowers falling over it. It has no straps, no gems, nothing fake in it. t's flowing and has cloth flowers on it. It feels natural, extremely comfortable.

"Mommy! You look pretty!" Brooklyn says, running over to me and giving me a hug. I grin at her and see she's in a light purple dress. It has a deep purple sash. There are some sown on flowers. I adore it.

"Thanks Isabelle. We love them," I say and hug her.

She hugs me back but says, "I'm doing Brooklyn's hair. Then I'm doing yours." There's no room to argue. I look at the clock on the wall. There's about an hour until the dinner. "Dont worry. You'll both be done and down there with fifteen minutes to spare."

"Fine," I say. "And thank you. Really."

I sit back in a spare chair and watch as Isabelle takes my daughter's hair and messes with it. Brooklyn lets out a silent cry or two, biting her lip because of the pain. She always does that when someone is messing with her hair, yanking at it. I tell her she'll look pretty, and she smiles. At the end, she's always pleased. Isabelle takes some straightening item and passes it over her newly brushed hair over and over. Brooklyn has finally relaxed. She looks at me through the mirror and gives me two thumbs up. I smile at her and wave while waiting for Izzy to be done. She is done with the iron, brushes her hair, and takes a few pins. I notice they're purple. She places them carefully on either side of her hair, then spins her around so I can see her. I gasp. The girl is my daughter, only fancier-looking. Her beauty is shown more than before, and I am glad. Her light brown hair is straightened, her normal curls no longer there. She has two decorative, flower-shaped pins on her hair.

She looks beautiful.

"You're welcome," Isabelle says. "You're next, Clary."

I sit on the stool and let her work on me. I bite my lip to keep myself from crying out sometimes, just because it hurts. It brings tears to my eyes, but I shake them off. I will look pretty. I keep my eyes closed, ready to be surprised. I feel heat. Is she working on straightening my hair, too? Brooklyn gasps.

"Beautiful," she murmurs from beside me, and I smile, my eyes still closed.

"Done," says Isabelle, sounding pleased with herself. "You can open your eyes now."

I do, and when I see myself in the mirror, I gasp. My hair is curled, tied back with bobby pins only. No curls are falling on my face. My hair barely reaches my shoulders. The curls, once messy, look fancier, now copper ringlets.

"Thank you so much," I say, giving her a tight hug and a kiss in the cheek.

"No problem. But, Clary? Be careful." She looks worried.

I ignore her warning. "Come on, Brooklyn. Jace is waiting."


	4. Chapter 4

**Hey guys! I meant to get this up a while ago but I forgot. *laughs nervously***

**_hey guys, it's camibandlover. we are BACK with THE DINNER CHAPTER. this was a fun chapter (: i hope you guys like it. review! :DD_**

**We, sadly, don't own TMI.**

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><p>I walk through the hallways of the castle until I find the grand dining room. When I open the doors, I gasp, as does Brooklyn. The chandeliers hanging from the celiling are immense and well-lit with beautiful light, the central table full of food, the walls decorated with the most beautiful paintings I've ever seen.<p>

"Mommy?" I hear my daughter say from my side, voice small.

"Yes, Brooklyn?" I ask her, trying to keep my voice from trembling.

"Do you actually like the Prince?" she asks innocently, twirling a strand of her hair with her index finger.

"Yes, I do. And...I think he might like me, too," I tell her, a smile forming on my lips as soon as I say the words. She gets a confused look on her face.

"How can you tell?" she asks, eyes widening. "Are you psychic?"

I let out a soft laugh. "No honey, I am not psychic. But just the way he looks at us together. He's always so happy when we visit him."

"Okay," she says and keeps walking. "If you say so."

I sigh in relief. Of course I don't know that he loves me. If I did, there would be so many things I could do instead of going to dinner with my daughter. We could go places, and I could become princess, and not have to work with Kaelie anymore. I just want to know he feels the same way about me as I feel about him, though I can't be sure. But I think he does because he's always happy to see us.

Inside the dining room stand two guards, blocking my entrance. "Are you Clarissa Fray?" one of them asks.

"Yes, I am," I tell them. They take in my appearance, from my dress to my hair, and their eyes inspect Brooklyn for a second. They nod and step out of the way, but not before turning to the prince.

"Prince Herondale, your guests are here," one of them says.

"Good. Send them in," I hear Jace say.

They move out of the way and step out of the dining room. With a deep, shaky breath, I start walking toward Jace, Brooklyn by my side, holding my hand. When the doors close behind us, Brooklyn lets go of my hand and runs over to Jace.

"PRINCE JACE!" she exclaims, looking happier than I've ever seen her before. She jumps and Jace catches her in his arms.

"Hello, Jace," I tell him. Holy shit, he looks hot in that suit. His blonde hair is messy, which I appreciate, but he is wearing the nicest suit I've seen, and in the best color: black.

"Hello, Clary. You look very beautiful tonight. Let me guess: Izzy?" he says with a laugh, an appreciative look transforming his features as he takes me in.

"Thank you and yes," I tell him, blushing. I don't want him to think I'm not capable enough of dressing myself. I am just a maid, which is why I rarely have this kind of clothing, or at all. He doesn't look bothered by the fact that Alice helped me at all.

We sit down in the big chairs surrounding the table. Immediately, some of the staff comes serve dinner, and I see Kaelie's face between one of those. She glares at me, and I smirk at her. Finally, some payback. The dinner looks wonderful, but it was more like food for thirty people rather than three. With a shrug, I dug in. I just realized how hungry I am. I devour the food and ask for another portion, as does Jace. I drink from my glass of wine and all.

"So," Jace says, his eyes lighting up when I look up, "any chance I might take you out on a dinner some place else?"

"I'll think about it," I say, my tone playful. Truthfully, I didn't need to think about it. My answer is, and will always be, yes.

"How was it?" Jace asks as we walk to his room. He asked me to go with him, so we could talk in private. Izzy had taken Brooklyn as soon as dinner ended.

"It was devine," I tell him, meaning it. I ate so much I don't know how I can stand, but miraculously, I keep walking.

"I want to show you something," Jace says when we get to his room, hurriedly walking over to his bookshelf. He picks up a copy of "Romeo and Juliet," and walks over to me. "I know you love this story, so I wanted to give you this. But don't open it until you get to your room, in private."

I nod, confused. "Okaaay?"

"Good," he says, and there is a bit of an awkward silence between us.

I clear my throat. "I should get going, then."

"Clary, wait," he calls out as I'm walking out of the door. "I'll walk you."

"Really?" I ask.

"Yes, come on." He leads me toward a staircase in his room. "To your room."

I walk after him, g

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><p>oing down the spiral-shaped stairs, biting my lip every time I feel like I'm going to fall. It's okay, I think to myself. He'll be there to catch me if I fall.<p>

"We're here," he announces proudly, and I see that he's right. There, in front of us, is the door to my room, the one I share with Kaelie. I hate it, but it's all I have.

"Thank you," I say.

"Would you rather spend the night in my room?" He winks.

I let out a laugh and say, "No, thanks, but...I'll consider the offer for some other time."

"How do you know there'll be another time?"

"You've made it pretty clear," I say.

"Very well." He sighs. "I'll talk to you soon?"

"Indeed."

"Goodnight, then." He says the words but does not make a move to leave.

"Night," I say, and then he spins me around and his mouth is against mine, crushing my lips.

_Jace is kissing me._

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><p><strong>Review!:DDDD<strong>


	5. Chapter 5

** Hi, lovely readers of this wonderful story, this is camibandlover. (: So, this chapter is kind of big for me because...I wrote it. Me, myself, and I (while video chatting with Reni. xD). But yeah, it's my chapter, one could say. We came up with some awesome ideas for the story while we video chatted, though, so I am super excited to write it with her. I love this story as much as you guys do. So, here you go...chapter 5. Please let us know what you think. xxx**

**Hey guys! This is Reni! It's been a while! Sorry my exams are coming up and my whole freaking school is cramming. So I hope you like the chapter and please review!**

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><p>All night, I dream of Jace kissing my lips, over and over again, like he did the night before. They are not the kind of dreams Kaelie would approve of, but then again, if I have Jace on my side, it does not matter. He can fire her with a snap of his fingers, and I will make sure she knows that.<p>

Morning came, and Kaelie, as usual, woke me up at the crack of dawn. "Wake up, Clarissa," she says, her voice carrying the usual venom it does. I fight the urge to roll my eyes and say something snarky. I will not let Jace change me. Just because he has taken an interest in me—an interest I quite enjoy—doesn't mean I should change how I treat my employer. Although Jace is my employer, she is like the head of my staff, which is like an employer, and therefore, I must respect her, no matter how much it pains me (and it does).

I make my bed and wake up Brooklyn, since it's also time for her to do the small chores she is assigned. "But Mommy," she pouts, "I don't want to work."

I sigh. I know it is hard for her to get up and realize that her life hasn't changed at all, that even though Jace has taken a liking in us, she still has to do her work. "Darling, you have to. We're still under Kaelie's supervision."

Brooklyn sighs. "Okay."

We part ways when I reach the kitchen. I help cook, and she does the dishes. I watch her from the corner of my eye. We aren't allowed to speak to each other when we're on kitchen duty, which makes me kind of sad. She's so young, and her only friends are her mother and her mother's best friend. I shake my head and continue to chop some fresh tomato.

Kaelie walks inside the kitchen, and the usual happy chatter, which most definitely includes gossip, stops suddenly. She takes short strides, as if she does not want to reach her destination, but she is presumably under orders, so she finally stands in front of me, and I realize that it's me she's supposed to address.

"Kaelie," I say, my voice flat.

"Clarissa," she replies, bitterness filling her voice. "Prince Jace asked me to give you this." She is holding out a cream-colored envelope with the royal stamp on it. Sure enough, the words Clarissa Fray are written on the back, in a very cursive, formal font.

My hands are shaking as I open the letter.

Dear Clarissa,

I request your presence at the gardens near the stables in one hour.

Jace.

A grin slowly transforms my face. "Thank you, Kaelie. I believe I've been dismissed." I hand her over the letter so she can read it.

Her face turns serious, her mouth forming a thin line. "Very well. You've been dismissed. But as soon as you're done with your"—she made a face—"meeting, I want you back here." Then she walks away, composing her face.

Brooklyn walks over to me, even though she isn't supposed to. No one spares a glance her way, though, which is the silent code for I won't tell a soul.

"Mommy," she says, looking up at me with her big eyes. "What did she want?"

I smile at her. "Jace wants me to go see him."

"Can I come?"

"No," I say, and shake my head sadly. But as I look around, I realize I can't leave her here, where Kaelie can take out her anger on Brooklyn. "Come on, I'm gonna take you with Izzy."

We exit the kitchen and make our way through the halls of the palace. It's a big castle, but Izzy's working place/room is very near the kitchen, so we get there once we pass two long, narrow hallways. Some workers who know we are in kitchen duty today give us weird looks, but some of them have heard the rumors of Jace and I, so they don't come up and ask question.

Isabelle answers her door after three fast knocks from my part. "Jesus freaking Christ, people, who the heck wants to see me? My shift hasn't even started." She opens the door in a very annoyed manner, and when she seems me holding Brooklyn's hand, her expression changes into a friendly one. "Brooklyn!" she says, and my daughter holds out her arms and Isabelle lifts her into hers. "Clary, what are you doing here?"

I grin stupidly. "Jace asked me to meet him in the gardens. God knows what for, but can you take care of Brooklyn?"

"Sure," Isabelle says, shrugging and pinching one of my daughter's bright red cheeks. "She's cooperative, and she can help out here."

"Thanks, Izzy." I give her a half-hug and kissed Brooklyn's cheek. "I'll be back soon." With that, I walk away from Isabelle's tiny room and into the gardens. I smooth my hair, hoping I don't look too stupid, and run a hand over my slightly wrinkled dress. It is a maid dress, of course, and I slap my hand on my forehead. Why didn't I ask Izzy for a more decent one when I had the chance? Still, it does not matter. Jace knows what my work is, so it's not like I have something to hide.

I am fifteen minutes early, so I walk over to the stables to watch the horses. Brooklyn loves horses, and I've always wanted to buy her one and teach her how to ride, but I don't have the money or the space. I sigh, leaning my head against the wooden wall. I wish I lived in a better time. But, if I did, I wouldn't have met Jace.

"Clary," a voice says. Jace. My heart skips a beat and it's beating a thousand miles per minute. I turn around and there he is, as gorgeous as ever, with his royal clothing and his golden hair and his precious eyes. The sunlight makes him look even handsomer. I blush and walk over to where he stands.

"Hi, Jace," I say, and curtsy.

"No need to do that, Clary." He places a hand on my shoulder affectionately, and, ever-so-hesitantly, leans in and gives me a quick peck on the cheek.

My blush grows deeper. "Old habits die hard," I mutter, loud enough for him to hear.

"We'll have to fasten the pace, then." He cups my face in his hands, and then he's kissing me like he kissed me last night, my arms around his waist and his cupping my neck. One of my hands is pulling at his hair, tugging, willing him to grow closer. A hand of his is pulling me closer by the waist, and I'm afraid there is no more space between us, that I will suffocate, but the fear dies out and all I can feel is pleasure.

I break the kiss, panting, desperate to breathe. "Um," I say, and then I mentally kick myself.

Jace smirks. "Speechless?"

I nod.

He chuckles. "Let's take a walk."

The flowers at this time of the year (spring) are lovely. They are every color you can imagine: orange, blue, red, white, violet, pink...they are beautiful. They make the garden feel like a paradise, like somewhere you'd like to escape but never quite managed to, since it is still real life. But the feeling that you are in paradise sticks, so now I am in paradise with the prince, with Jace, and I love it.

"So, Clary," Jace says, "do you like your work?"

I smile softly. "Do you like yours?"

"I don't really work." He shakes his head. "It's rather boring."

"Nobody likes work, Jace, but we have to grow used to it."

"Well, maybe not."

I glance up at him. "What do you mean?"

He takes my hand in his, and I am suddenly very aware of who I am and who he is, but I am also aware that it doesn't matter, shouldn't matter, not to us. "Clary, I want you to be my princess. Not marriage yet," he rambled on, and I suppress a smile, "but just...I don't want you to work. I want you to live a life with no worries."

I smile gratefully at him. "Jace, as much as I appreciate this, there is no life without worries."

Jace rakes a hand through his hair. "But there can be one where you live better than you do now, working with Kaelie." He makes a face. "No one likes her. She's only around for one reason."

"Which is?" I stare up at him expectantly.

He lets out a low, careful breath. "I shouldn't be telling you this," he says with a laugh, "but I will anyway. She and my dad have an affair, and my mom is aware, but she doesn't want to give up her throne, obviously, and my dad isn't crazy about settling down with Kaelie."

My mouth hangs open. Kaelie, my boss, who acts like a saint all of the time, if there is such a thing as a saint with a big ass and gigantic boobs. She does not let us swear or gossip, yet she screws the king.

"Holy shit," I blurt out, and then I clamp a hand over my mouth. Jace is the prince, even if he may seem like a normal boy. Oh my god, what did I do? "I'm sorry, I didn't mean to—"

"It's okay," he cuts in. "Really. I'm glad there's someone around here who isn't all prude-like when they're around me."

I smile with relief. "Good," I say lightly, the blush slowly disappearing from my face, and the butterflies in my stomach beating their wings harder.

His hand brushes slightly against mine, and I open mine, inviting him to slip his under mine. We are holding hands, very carefully, walking in paradise, lost in our own train of thought. I look at him, his jaw, strong and hard like a prince's should be, and his hair is long, but it suits him. His muscles bulge out slightly from his long-sleeved black shirt.

"Like what you see?" he says with a smirk, and I realize he has caught me staring. The blush is back, my heart freezes, and I'm so embarrassed by myself.

"I—" Before I could make an excuse for staring, his lips crash against mine, and the kiss is anything but soft. It is passionate and full of want, full of desire and everything I've been feeling, and it is beautiful, but we cannot be seen together by his parents, at least it's what I figure. I ask him about it.

"They would not be happy," Jace replies somewhat reluctantly, "but they'll have to deal. They're not perfect."

I shake my head. "I don't want trouble, Jace."

"You won't get into any, I promise you, Clary." He kisses my lips once again.

"Thank you."

"Do you accept, then?" He is looking at me expectantly.

"Accept what?" I say.

"To move in with me. To stop working. To have the life you deserve," he says. He is so charming, I almost sigh, but I stop myself. God, Clary, you are such an idiot, I tell myself.

And then, reluctantly, I nod, even though I'm not thinking and a million things could go wrong. "Yes, I accept."


End file.
